Thirteen of the cats eventually regained consciousness, while one passed away, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force.
Pets are part ofone family, and just like learning First Aid and Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) skills for adults and children allows you to care for your family, learning important first aid for your cats and dogs can help you best care for them.
If your pet has a cardiac arrest, you can help save his or her life by performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). By distributing much-needed oxygen and blood throughout a pet's body, CPR can help do the work that the lungs and heart have stopped doing. Fourteen cats were rescued after a fire broke out in a unit at Fajar Road, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) on Friday (Apr 22).
In a Facebook post, the SCDF said that it was alerted at about 8.30am on Thursday to a fire in a flat on the second floor of Block 422 Fajar Road.
The fire involved the contents of the service yard.
Firefighters conducted forcible entry into the unit and extinguished the fire using three compressed air foam backpacks.
SCDF then rescued 14 cats that were found unconscious within the unit.
Firefighters attending to the cats after the fire was extinguished. (Image: TikTok/@ItsHambali)
"The firefighters, some of them cross-trained as emergency medical technicians, provided oxygen and conducted CardioPulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on the cats," said SCDF.
"Thirteen of the cats eventually regained consciousness, while one had passed away." About 20 people were evacuated from neighbouring units as a precautionary measure. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Cat & Dog CPR
1 - Check for breathing and a heartbeat…
Check to see if the pet is breathing and check for a heartbeat. If you do not see your pet’s chest moving and cannot find a heartbeat, begin CPR with chest compressions.
2 - Give chest compressions…
Place your hands on your pet as follows:
For cats, small dogs and deep chested dogs, place the heel of one of your hands directly over the pet’s heart and place your other hand directly over the first hand.
For deep chested dogs, place the heel of one hand over the widest part of the chest and place your other hand directly over the first hand.
For barrel chested dogs, place the dog on its back, place one hand over the widest part of the sternum, and place your other hand directly over the first hand. Lock your elbows and make sure your shoulders are directly above your hands.
Then, push hard and push fast at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute, compressing 1/3 to 1/2 the width of your pet’s chest.
Make sure the chest comes back fully (recoils) before compressing again.
Perform 30 chest compressions
3 - Then give rescue breaths…
To give rescue breaths, gently close the pet’s mouth and extend the pet’s neck to open the airway. Cover your pet’s nose with your mouth and exhale until you see the pet’s chest rise. Give a second rescue breath.
4 - Continue CPR…
Continue giving CPR with a cycle of 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths until your dog or cat begins breathing again on its own.
5 - Check again for breathing and a heartbeat…
Briefly check for breathing and a heartbeat every 2 minutes.
6 - Get help…
Continue CPR until you reach a veterinary clinic or hospital.